Flow shut-off at the top of a sprinkler head is rapidly becoming a standard feature in high-end rotating sprinklers. Flow shut-off allows contractors to selectively shut off water flow at any sprinkler head in a watering zone. This feature is particularly useful for installing new sprinkler nozzles in each sprinkler since a contractor can shut off the water flow at a sprinkler head, change the nozzle, and turn the head back on. In this respect, the contractor does not need to travel to the remote central irrigation controller, shut down irrigation at a particular zone, travel to the zone and replace a sprinkler nozzle, then travel back to the central controller to turn the zone back on.
Another benefit heralded by installers and contractors is the ability to selectively shut-off multiple sprinklers in a zone to prevent a construction zone from getting sprayed. Typically, with a standard sprinkler, the whole zone would be shut down at the controller. This risks drying out and killing landscaping that is not near or associated with the construction zone.
Prior art sprinkler flow shut-off valves can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,869,026; 5,762,270; 6,802,458 and 7,793,868; the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.